Small Business Saturday: Antidote to Black Friday

Black Friday: it’s the perennial start to the Holiday shopping frenzy. The large retailers would love for you to wake up out of our Thanksgiving turkey stupor and spend wildly in their stores. That’s why the Thanksgiving day newspaper is completely clogged with advertisements. Why not instead of relenting to the pressure and constant media messages, take Friday off and do your Christmas shopping on Small Business Saturday.

November 27, 2010 is the first-ever Small Business SaturdaySM. A day to come together in support of the small businesses we love. The shops and restaurants that employ our neighbors and reinvest our money close to home. The businesses that are the heartbeat of our communities and local economies.

The goal of Small Business Saturday is to support the small and locally owned merchants in your community. Local businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy. According to a study done by Civic Economics, $68 of every $100 spent in locally owned businesses stays in the local economy. Shopping at a ‘big box store’ only keeps $43 of every $100 flowing in the local economy.

How does an extra $25 per $100 make a difference. The Wausau metro area has a population of 85,000 people. If 20,000 residents decided to do their shopping locally on Saturday November 27, that would be a $500,000 one day economic impact to the community. Multiply that by seven as the money gets recycled locally and we’ve improved the local economy by 3.5 million dollars. All in just ONE day. Think of the impact if we continue this over the entire holiday shopping season.

RelyLocal supports local businesses and is an active promoter of Small Business Saturday. Follow our Facebook page and website for special offers and coupons from local merchants, and don’t forget to Buy Local with RelyLocal.

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About The Author

This blog is curated by Michael Martens. I’ve lived in the Wausau area since 1978 and feel a very strong tie to the community. I’m a homeowner, community supporter, and am raising my family here. I’m active on several boards and community groups including Wausau Noon Kiwanis, Samoset Council Boy Scouts of America, and Wisconsin Valley Radio Association.